Flexible Display Bending Detection via Capacitance

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current flexible OLED display screens require additional sensors and control chips for bending recognition, which are costly, heavy, and result in low accuracy and inability to achieve thinness and lightness, as well as incomplete full-screen bending recognition.

Innovation Solution

Incorporating a bending detection capacitor formed by a detecting electrode-plate and an elastic conductor layer on the array substrate, where the elastic conductor layer's thickness changes with compressive stress, altering capacitance values to determine bending information without additional sensors or control chips.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If additional sensors and control chips are arranged for bending recognition, then bending detection capability is improved, but device complexity and cost increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebending detection accuracyVSAvoidstructure complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the bending detection function with the existing OLED display structure by integrating a detection circuit into the pixel electrode structure. The pixel electrode serves dual purposes: displaying images and detecting bending through capacitance changes, eliminating the need for separate sensors and control chips.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The pixel electrode is designed to perform multiple functions: it serves as both the display element for showing images and the sensing element for detecting bending. This multi-functional design allows the same structure to accomplish both display and bending recognition tasks without additional components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Measurement precision

If additional sensors and control chips are arranged for bending recognition, then bending detection capability is improved, but weight increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebending detection accuracyVSAvoiddisplay screen weight
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSWeight of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The detection circuit is merged into the existing pixel electrode structure, eliminating the need for separate heavy sensor components and control chips. This integration significantly reduces the overall weight while maintaining bending detection capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The pixel electrode structure serves itself by detecting bending through its own capacitance changes. The same structure that displays images also performs bending detection, eliminating the need for additional heavy sensing components.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Measurement precision

If additional sensors and control chips are arranged for bending recognition, then bending detection capability is improved, but manufacturing cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebending detection accuracyVSAvoidmanufacturing cost
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines bending detection functionality with the existing OLED manufacturing process. The detection circuit is integrated into the pixel electrode structure using the same fabrication techniques, eliminating the need for separate sensor manufacturing and assembly, thereby reducing costs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The pixel electrode structure provides its own bending detection capability through capacitance changes, eliminating the need for additional expensive sensor components and control chips that would increase manufacturing costs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

4Measurement precision

If additional sensors and control chips are arranged for bending recognition, then bending detection capability is improved, but the display screen cannot achieve thinness and lightness

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebending detection accuracyVSAvoiddisplay screen thickness
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The detection circuit is integrated into the pixel electrode structure, eliminating the need for separate sensor layers and control chip assemblies that would increase thickness. This integration enables thin-form-factor flexible displays with bending detection capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The pixel electrode structure detects bending through its own capacitance changes without requiring additional thick sensor components, enabling the display to achieve thinness and lightness while maintaining bending detection accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach allows for cost-effective, thin, and lightweight flexible display screens with high accuracy in bending recognition across the entire screen, enhancing user experience by integrating bending detection without interfering with display processes.

Implementation Method 1

a bending detection capacitor is formed by a detecting electrode-plate and an elastic conductor layer on the array substrate, where the elastic conductor layer's thickness changes with compressive stress, altering capacitance values to determine bending information

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCapacitance: Capacitance

Implementation Method 2

the elastic conductor layer's thickness changes with compressive stress

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectElasticity: Elasticity

Data Source

PatentEP3806074B1Flexible display screen, bending detection method and display device
Publication Date: 2024.12.25 BOE TECHNOLOGY GROUP CO LTD
  • EP3806074B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3806074B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3806074B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A flexible display screen, a bending detection method and device, and a display device are disclosed. The flexible display screen includes an array substrate (101), a light emitting device (102) on one side of the array substrate (101), and an elastic conductor layer (103) on the other side of the array substrate (101). The array substrate (101) includes at least one target region (Q), a plurality of storage capacitors (Cst) are provided in the target region (Q), and first electrode-plates (A1) of the storage capacitors (Cst) constitute a target electrode-plate, and the target electrode-plate is connected to a detecting signal terminal (TX). The array substrate (101) is configured to form a bending detection collectively by a detecting electrode-plate and the elastic conductor layer (103) when the target electrode-plate receives a detecting signal, the detecting electrode-plate including at least the target electrode-plate. The present application helps to solve problems that a bending recognition function of the flexible display screen is costly and cannot meet a demand for thinness and lightness.